when do you wean chicks?

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wcah

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I had a broody hen and her chicks hatched 6 weeks ago. I took the broody hen out of the main run when she started sitting. Mummy and her 3 chicks have been in a seperate coop and run and the main group are freerange so have seen them and cogragate around her run. Theses last couple of days mummy hen has been more agresive towards her chicks and the cockeral keeps running over to see what the cufuffel is all about, also mummy hen is laying again. Should I put mummy hen back with her gang and leave the chicks where they are for now or put them all in together? Then chicks are stil sleeping with mum and havent started roosting yet when will this happen?
Many thanks
 
We separate ours at 6 weeks Wcah. If she is laying again she needs to be put back with the others and the chicks left separated. The chicks will need to go onto growers pellets soon (until at least week 18 or until first lays) and mum needs layers now she is laying.
 
i dont let any youngetrs roost until they are at least 5 months old as then can get a crooked breast bone. but yes remove hen and chicks will be fine .
 
I will move mother hen this weekend and i supose i will have to keep them all locked up while she gets used to her old house to roost or will she follow the rest to bed?
Now the chicks, I will get some growers pellets and feed them on that. when can I move them in with the others? There are 2 hens and one cock (I was thinking of fatten the cock) Will it be OK for the 2 little hens to run around with there dad? will they inter bread?
 
Gradually phase in the growers by mixing it with the chick crumb between about week8 and 10. Then you need to keep them apart until the girls are 18-20 weeks, as they need to eat growers pellets whilst they are maturing. Growers has less calcium then layers feed, which is formulated to support hens in lay when making a daily eggshell. It also has higher protein. This much calcium is harmful to growing birds which do not need it, and it may affect their kidneys. The aim should be to keep them growing on at a steady, natural pace, without the extra supplements that may be helpful to adult laying birds. If you run them with the older birds, obviously you can't give them the food they need, and they may also be bullied until they are old enough to stand p for themselves.
No need to worry about interbreeding at this stage, and in any case, yes they will mate when adult but you don't have to incubate any of the eggs or let a hen sit on them. The actual mating is irrelevant.
 
Moved mummy hen last night and shes been happy running around with her mates. Chicks seam happyer too now they arnt getting attacked and look much more relaxed. I have bought some grower pellets which ill mix in with there chick crumbs for a week. What else can i feed them? can they have bread, mixed corn, vegs scraps, pasta,. Is there any toys or play things that i could put in to stimulate there minds?
 
Don't give them pasta and bread Wcah. Veg scraps are OK but potatoes must be cooked. We give ours tomatoes, cabbage leaves and apples. Too much sweetcorn makes them fat and spoils laying.
 
Our chicks are now 7 weeks old and Mum is still very attentive. She will have to be for a week or so longer as I have nowhere else to put her at present but there is no sign that she will not be looking after them. They do have a sensible size run though at 8ft X 10ft for the 7 of them. They have just finished the last of the chick crumbs that I bought for them but for a week or so they have been having growers pellets at the same time. They seem to prefer the pellets so won't have any trouble "Weaning" them onto proper food.

On Extras--I have a woodpile that has plenty of dead and decaying wood in it and have been taking a handful of the rotten wood along with the woodlice and giving it to them as a treat. They love "Live" food but are wary of red worms from the compost heap and slugs that appear in the morning. The full size adults love them though. I have started digging part of the run and they love pecking at the bugs or nutrients in the soil so that will continue. Surprisingly- the grass that is in the new run is still there and may need cutting shortly. They have not taken to it as the adults would.
 
whats wrong with pasta bar theres nothing in it and fills them up quick ? my adult hens love it as a rare treat but they do love bread they have a slice a day between 7 of them thats ok isnt it?. I normaly feed the adults a mix of mixed poultery corn and layers pellets, just woundred if it was OK to ive the chicks some of the corn?
Good idea a rotten wood pile ill so 1 out tomorrow,
 
wcah said:
whats wrong with pasta bar theres nothing in it and fills them up quick ?,
Click to expand...

That's what's wrong with it, especially for growers! they need a simple diet of good-quality growers pellets, which will provide them with the nutrients they need to grow steadily and strongly and become healthy as they mature. If you fill them up with empty calories they won't eat so much of the stuff which will enable them to do this. If they have each other for company and adequate space they will not get bored or need entertainment.
 
You don't. Thats the broodies job. Why do chicken keepers/breeders who use broodies, the only way to hatch chicks by the way, feel the need to get involved at every stage. My run is 20 X 30 ft. Yes I know larger than most. In the run I currently have 4 layers, 5 growers/15 wks, which were raised my broody Sussex. who liked being broody so much she layed a couple of eggs then went broody again, she has just hatched 7 chicks. Inside the run i have a seperate broody box and small run to keep her safe and undisturbed. The chicks are in the broody run for a week, then, are free to join the layers & growers under the broodys protection. I don't have any bullying or pecking issues, peace & tranquillity really, and when the growers finally confirm thier gender the noisey ones will make a nice sunday dinner for two. Is it essential that you must feed them growers/layers pellets with a treat of kitchen scraps on a day with a "s" in it? Mine are feed the three G's...Grain..Grass..Grit and occasional cooked scraps/oats. A lot less smelly in the hen house by the way. Vets should never see a chicken unless it is a champion of the breeding/showing ring. Buy another six POL's with the money. Don't let chicks suffer, cull if no improvement in health. Finally I know this seems to be a bit of a rant, but I feel that nature knows best, so why look to change it. So let your chicks intergrate with the adults within days of hatch and you will end up with hardy, disease resistant & run wise layers.
 
A good way to keep them. Rearing is much less scientific if a broody is given a lot of space as they find all sorts. If we rear in a brooder, we tend to be much more rigid in our thinking when feeding which is not necessary. Truth is we often do things more for convenience and it's easier to feed compound feed. Nothing wrong with a few scraps along the way either just not too much.
 
Fine system Eddie but some of your sick chicks will be down to eating layers pellets far too early. Too much calcium for their system. Shouldn't get that concentration until they are full adults at least 18 weeks old. Plus lower protein diet limits their development, so they are not as strong as they could be. Works in France but they don't use layers pellets- too expensive as grain is fifth the price.
 
@Eddie286, Dosent your rooster try and attack the chicks? What type of chickens have you got? mine did, that why i built a new coop with a 6ftX18ft run for the broody and her chicks,

Now it just for the three chicks 8 weeks old as i have put mummy back with the rest which are free range. I have got 1 rooster and 2 hens, im thinking i could put them in with the rest when they are about 14weeks old, so they can be freerange too. The rooster is from a waren hen and a cuckoo marran cockeral what is the best type of food to fatten him up with? and at what age would you reccomend to cull?
 
My chicks are now 15 weeks old and i decided to open there enclosed run up so they are freerange with the other hens and there Dad. Just to explain there run is where the hens and there dad mainly congregate during the day, so there all know each other through the wire run, there has never been any nastyness. Well its been 3 days of having them mixing freerange and theres still bullying. Kev the Cockeral is getting very vissious towards the 3 teenagers chassing them and pulling feathers out. We keep going out and squerting him with water to stop him but hes so persistant. Also the hens keep running at them and chasing them. How can I make this a happy Camp. I thought the way they had been brought up they would be fine. I was hoping to move them all into the same coop.
Also in a differant coop and run I have a hen sitting on 8 eggs and they are due to hatch this sunday. Now theres only her boyfriend in ther with her as 1 hen has gone missing. Would you reccomend that i move her to bring up her chicks or leave her with the cockeral?
Thank you for any advise all i want is a happy hen run :(
 
15 weeks is still too young to put them In with the big ones. They are not yet mature enough to stand up for themselves, especially with a cockerel like Kevin who sees them as a challenge, and it's not really fair on the teenagers to have to put up with his attacks. I would keep them apart for another month, on growers pellets, and then try putting them in the coop with the big ones at night, when all are settled and sleeping. Either spray or wipe something smelly over the feathers of both of and new birds, so they all smell the same and sleep together. This should reduce aggression next day. Put out extra feeders and drinkers so they don't get bullied away from food and water, and if Kevin is still being a pain, remove him to another pen for a few days whilst things settle down. If you really want them to go in together straight away, removing Kevin would be something to try anyway.
You didn't say what sex the chicks turned out to be - this will make a difference.
 
Thanks for your reply marigold, there is 2 hens and 1 cockeral its all of them getting bulied. I will keep them in there run for another few weeks i thought they would be OK as they are just as big as the warrens they must have got there size from Kev (cookoo marran Very big boy never been agressive normaly a VERY kind gentalman with his girls taking food out of my hand and droping it for his ladies to eat)
Carnt understand why hes showing agression when they normaly sunbath touching feathers through the runs wire :-)19
 
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